A - Dark brown bordering on black ale with chestnut highlights that appear almost purple at times. A thick tan one finger head gets off to a promising start, and then fades quickly to a bubbly collar. A swirl brings back one finger, but then it goes away again....this head is playing peek-a-boo. Lots of really nice lacing going on here.

S - Roasty, rich, and complex scents of firewood and roasted grain. Remeniscent of burining leaves in autumn. Chicory almost in it's bitter characteristics, but also smooth and somewhat chocolatey underneath.

T - Deliciously earthy and roasty, but very smooth at the same time. Sweet and well balanced in it's malt characteristics, it's slightly bitter but never overwhelmes the palate. Hops provide a nice sharp edge to contrast the round roasty malt.

M - Full bodied, nicely carbonated, slightly chalky in the middle and somewhat dry at the finish.

D - Superb. This stuff is very complex and interesting, but the nice thing about it is that it's very well balanced, and none of those interesting qualities ever become annoying or overbearing.

This is my first experience with an old ale, and if this is any indication of what the style is supposed to be like....sign me up for more of this!

12 oz bottle with unnotched dates on the side of the label...what is the point if there is not any notches? Pours a dark crimson color that seems to be fairly clear but it is hard to tell, the beer is quite dark. Not much foam, maybe 1 fingers worth of light tan head. Fades at an average clip and does not leave much lacing.

Nose is malty, more akin to a schwarzbier than an olde ale, it is missing much of the fruitiness and alcohol aromas. Not much hops in here and the overall smell is pretty clean for an ale.

Taste follows suit with the nose for the most part, but there is a very nice, notable smoke flavor that really helps out the complexity of the beer. Carbonation is low and the alcohol level feels nowhere near 6.7%. It is not what one expects when cracking open an olde ale, but this is a really tasty beer that I will surely buy a sixer or more of next year. Surprisingly delicious and very smooth. Good job Breck!

I got a beautiful pour from this beer, resulting in two fingers of thick, light-tan head. The color was a deep, cola-brown with lovely garnet highlights. The nose had a big malty-sweet presence. The mouthfeel was medium to full and I got a really unexpected smokiness on the tongue. The finish had a slightly sharp quality, followed by a return of that smoky flavor. I just wish that the weather was not so warm because this would be perfect on a more typical autumn day.

I picked this autumn ale, during the summer. Poured a dark mahogany red, brown color. Good clarity and decent head. Though the foam lasted there really wasnt much lacing.

The smell is malty, with some toasted and limited roasted malt aromas. Some syrupy notes with more of a brown sugar essence. A touch of maple notes as well.

The taste is malty with some nice phenolic characteristics. The malt has a good flavor with roasted and some nutty flavors that mix well. The taste isnt really astringent though. Some plum and raisin flavors that mellow and balance out the beer. At the end is an almost lactic flavor but suble. Flavor is very good.

There is a lighter note in body with some wispy flavors. Very light for an old ale but good overall. Really feels like a light porter but still good, no matter what the season is.

Wow, never expected this from Breck. A great, great ale with lots of autumnal charm and inspiration. Goes great with that not-quite-cold-but-there's-that-chill-in-the-air weather. Tasty, easy-to-drink, a sessionable old ale? Guess so, lucky CO.